Conventional containers for storing medication typically include simple safety mechanisms which are only intended to prevent small children from opening the containers. Such safety mechanisms do nothing to prevent adults or older children from opening the containers and accessing the medication stored within. The risks and dangers posed by the improper consumption of medication are well known, and tragic outcomes can be prevented by better securing such containers against unauthorized access.
The challenge facing the adoption of secure containers for medication lies in the balance between safety, convenience, and reusability. Examples of various secured containers, lids, and other devices can be found within the prior art. Certain prior art containers are effective at thwarting unauthorized access, but are complex and inconvenient, which may discourage potential users from adopting such containers. Furthermore, a secure container has limited reusability as the container must be thoroughly cleaned before being reused in order to prevent contamination and the potential occurrence of a harmful reaction between newly stored medication and residue of the previously stored medication. Electronic containers in particular may be difficult to clean without damaging the electronic components, and are too expensive to be treated as disposable. Certain devices such as “smart” lids which detect the removal of the lid from the container, also face the problem of potential contamination unless thoroughly cleaned. Furthermore, containers which merely guard against unauthorized access do nothing to prevent accidental overdoses by the patient for whom the medication is intended, caused by the administering of extra doses at incorrect dosage times.
There exists an urgent need for a device which strikes a balance between convenience, safety, and reusability by being able to secure a container without contacting the medication stored within, while further reliably detecting attempts to remove or disturb the device and warning the intended patient or appropriate caretaker of any such attempts. Such a device is further capable of managing the timely consumption of medication by reminding the user if any doses are missed, and warning the user if the medication is accessed at an inappropriate time.
In the present disclosure, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which the present disclosure is concerned.
While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed to facilitate the present disclosure, no technical aspects are disclaimed and it is contemplated that the claims may encompass one or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein.